Commuters Hope Birds Take The Next Train Out

STAMFORD, CONN. — In a battle of man versus pigeon at the Stamford train station, the birds are winning.

"Why can't we outsmart a pigeon?" said Joseph McGee, vice president of public policy of the Business Council of Fairfield County and a daily user of the station. "Man has got to do better."

But it's not that easy.

Commuters and pigeons have been at odds at the train station ever since the state took over and renovated it six years ago.

The station's large pillars, rafters and canopies remind pigeons of their natural habitat and they treat it as such -- leaving behind whitish-brownish-greenish colored stains on the outside walls and platforms.

A hole in the tile ceiling of a commuter overpass at the station has been converted into a pigeon hotel. That's where the gray birds hide during the cooler weather, flying out when it warms to roost and "coo" over the platforms.

They fear no man, one commuter said.

"They're a little bolder than your normal pigeons," said Terrence Wade, a graphic designer from Norwalk.

Wade said he's noticed the pigeon droppings on the platforms, but fortunately, he has yet to see the top of anyone's head become a target.

"If it happens while I'm eating my lunch, I'll have a lot to say about that," he joked.

But for some commuter advocates, losing control of their station to a flock of birds is not a laughing matter. Some say pigeon droppings create an unhealthy environment, and others are concerned about another scenario.

"It could become a safety issue," said Jeffrey Maron, a Stamford commuter and member of the Connecticut Commuter Rail Council. "Somebody could get pushed off the platform if there's a crowd of people trying to avoid" falling pigeon droppings.

Controlling the pigeon population can get tricky because the state must be effective while remaining humane, said Kevin Nursick, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.

Two years ago, the state installed sets of spikes atop some of the rafters, which don't injure the birds, but make the surface less desirable for roosting. The spikes worked in the short-term, but the state is now looking for other methods.

Earlier this month, the state hired a consultant to trap and remove the pigeons from the site individually.

To capture the pigeons, the consultant must play to the male bird's strongest desires. Females are baited into a trap set near one of the roosting spots. A male pigeon then goes to check on the female and gets caught, Nursick said.